The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for teleconferencing with multiple participants wherein one or multiple remote participants are connected via a data link with at least one locally present participant for example, to discuss specific topics during teleconferencing or to study with one another or exchange notes under a moderator's management.
The prior art has disclosed a number of apparatuses and methods for teleconferencing. For example, a group of local participants may be connected with a group of remote participants via videoconference. A microphone may capture audio in the room and a camera may record video of the local participant group, transmitting these to the remote group where in turn a microphone records the audio and a camera records a video of the remote participant group so that both the local and remote groups may observe one another. The drawback of these known videoconferences is that audio recording and audio reproduction tend to show poor quality so that attending these videoconferences requires heightened concentration by the participants.
DE 10 2007 058 585 B4 discloses an apparatus and a method for teleconferencing, wherein a display device can show a graphic representation of the remote participants and the locally present participants in the teleconference. Usually, the participants are graphically grouped around a rectangular table. To identify the participants, representatives or avatars are used wherein the representative is for example depicted by a photo of the participant. The known apparatus and the known method allow satisfactory teleconferencing with lively exchanges between the local and remote participants.
Although the known apparatus and the known method allow high-quality and most satisfactory teleconferencing, real conferences whose participants can see one another in person show a number of advantages since the atmosphere is more personal and the participants tend to behave differently.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and a method for attending teleconferences with multiple participants enabling further teleconference quality improvement.